Page 118 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars

I go to ask Linc a question, but he’s looking off into the distance, lost in thought, and the words fade on my lips.

It’s been interesting watching him with Henry and his friends. Even at eighteen, Linc was the sort of guy who was at home in any company, and he’s only gotten better over the years. He has an easy manner and he’s a great conversationalist, and very little seems to faze him. Despite not having seen Henry since they were teens, they fell back into their teasing, mocking friendship with ease, and he had no trouble at all in connecting with the other guys and Juliette, making it seem as if they were all old friends, even though this was the first time they’d met.

I did my best to join in, trying to overcome my natural shyness. It’s never been as easy for me—I have to work harder at it—but occasionally I caught Linc watching me, and I could see he was enjoying himself. He likes the way we bounce off each other, how we’re able to read each other and make people laugh, as if we’re a couple.

Don’t get carried away, Elora.

The Uber pulls up and we get in, and we head to Lyttelton, where we’re due to pick up the ferry at four p.m. Once we arrive, we check in and offload our cases. Linc has already spoken to them, added me to the passenger list, and paid for me, refusing any offer of mine to contribute, and we both get a key card to our suite, which is exciting, as I’ve never been on a cruise before. We go into the café and have a coffee while we sit and chat, waiting for the boat, or ship, according to Fraser.

In the end, we don’t have long to wait before boarding begins. We join the queue waiting to cross the gangplank, looking up at the Paua Shell—the ship that rears above us, gleaming in the summer sunshine. It’s not as big as some of the ocean liners that traverse the Pacific, but it is still enormous, with eleven decks, the biggest ship I’ve ever been on by far.

On board, we find ourselves on Deck Four in a foyer, with signs directing passengers to the elevators and stairs for the various decks. We’re on Deck Seven, and so we take the stairs up, then walk along the corridor until we reach our suite. Linc touches his key card to the door, and we go inside.

I knew he’d booked a suite rather than one of the standard rooms, but even so, I’m stunned by the size of it. It has a living room with a sofa and chairs and a large flat-screen TV, a separate bedroom with a king-size bed, an ensuite bathroom with a bath and a shower, and an outside balcony with two sun loungers and an outdoor dining table.

“Oh my God.” I wander around, looking at the decor, which has a beautiful Paua shell theme—blue, green, and purple, with small pieces of shell set into the wooden tables. “This place is fantastic.”

“I know. Look at this.” He unlocks the sliding doors and walks out onto the balcony. I follow him out there, and we lean on the railing and look out at the view of the quay.

“Once we leave port, all we’ll be able to see is the ocean,” he says.

I nod, excited at the thought, but distracted by the fact that his arm is pressed against mine. He’s wearing a tee, but his arms are bare, and his skin is warm and tanned, darker than mine.

There’s something about him that’s so… alive. I feel as if I buzz with energy when he’s near. He does something to my blood, makes it fizz and pop, until I’m tingling all over.

He looks at me then, and his green eyes turn curious, then amused, as he guesses what I’m thinking.

“The thought of ocean-going sex turn you on?” he murmurs, bending his head to kiss me.

“You turn me on,” I correct, breathless.

“You’re insatiable. Are you trying to wear me out?”

“I want to please you,” I tell him. “I want to drive you crazy with desire.”

“You do, sweetheart, I swear.”

I hesitate, biting my bottom lip. His gaze drops to it for a moment before returning to my eyes.

“I know you’re trying to be nice,” I say, “and you’ve done everything you can to take it slow with me, and I really, really appreciate it, but… I want to make you lose it. I want to drive you crazy, because you drive me crazy, do you know that?” I’m babbling again, and I know I shouldn’t say all this, but my mouth won’t stop moving. “I can’t stop thinking about you and remembering little moments we’ve shared over the past few days—they replay in my memory on repeat. I keep remembering how it felt to have you inside me, especially with the thirty percent control… And I want more, and I know we don’t have much time, but I want all of you, Linc…”

My voice fades away. He’s staring at me, and embarrassment hits me with a wallop. My face burns, so I know I’ve blushed.

“Shit,” I mumble, “I shouldn’t have said anything…”

“Come here,” he says. And he slides a hand to the back of my neck and holds me there as he crushes his lips to mine.

I rest my hands on his chest, trying to catch my breath as he delves his tongue into my mouth. Desire shoots through me at a million miles an hour, and my eyes prick with tears at the thought that he doesn’t mind me blurting out how I feel about him.

He lifts his head then, holding my face with both hands, and he says fiercely, “Don’t ever apologize for saying what’s on your mind. I want to know.”

“But… I know I shouldn’t. You’re going, and I’ve got to deal with that. And I want to be all grown up about it, and be offhand and ‘well it was fun while it lasted,’ I really do…”

He smiles. “That was never going to happen, and I think we both knew it.”

I look at him helplessly.

“Yes,” he says, hearing my unspoken question. “I feel the same. We’re going to have to make a decision when the time comes. None of the options will be easy.”

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